Port Macquarie Hastings Council will commence replacing the last of 13 ageing timber bridges at King Creek next month with a brand-new concrete structure that will improve motorist safety and bridge longevity.
Council has engaged bridge building contractor Saunders Civilbuild to commence project construction of the new bridge at King Creek Road on April 8. This will require removal of the existing ageing timber bridge before a new, reinforced concrete structure is built in its place.
To complete the project prior to October, Saunders Civilbuild will be required to enact a full closure and implement detours for residents on either side of the project site.
These detours will be via King Creek Road and the Oxley Highway for residents east of the bridge. For residents west of the bridge, it will be via Bago Road/Cameron Street to the Oxley Highway.
Port Macquarie Hastings Council Director of Infrastructure, Robert Fish, said the long-term practicality of a concrete bridge for residents would far outweigh the short-term impacts.
“While I acknowledge and appreciate there will be some inconveniences associated with the bridge closure and corresponding detours, the nature of the location around the project site isn’t conducive to building a temporary crossing,” he said.
“The main impediments to this are the narrow corridor widths and environmentally sensitive areas either side of the bridge.
“We look forward to working with Saunders Civilbuild between now and October to bring to completion the last of our bridge replacements under the NSW Government’s Fixing Country Bridges program.”
The 13 bridge projects have been funded thanks to the NSW Government’s Fixing Country Bridges Program, Port Macquarie Hastings Council and the Australian Government’s Bridges Renewal Program.
Council has engaged two Major Contractors (Saunders Civilbuild, and Eire Constructions) to complete the works across two separate Contract Packages. The full Fixing Country Bridges Program of works is anticipated to be open to traffic by the second half of 2024, with the completion of the King Creek Road bridge being the last site. The new concrete structures, including nine bridges and four culverts, are available to view here.
